For art collectors who relish variety, Legacy Gallery’s 16th annual Holiday Small Works Show in Scottsdale, AZ, promises an eclectic mix of paintings and sculpture on an intimate scale. The show—which spans everything from western, wildlife, and figurative art to landscapes and still lifes—opens on Thursday, December 8, with an artists’ reception from 7 to 9 p.m. In a festive atmosphere buoyed by holiday caroling, visitors can peruse over 200 works by more than 80 of Legacy’s top artists, including Ken Carlson, David Mann, Kyle Polzin, Glenn Dean, Laura Robb, Charles Fritz, John Fawcett, Marina Dieul, Martin Grelle, George Hallmark, Dean Mitchell, and Tim Shinabarger.

All works are sold by draw, giving both fine-art connoisseurs and new collectors an equal chance at purchasing an original piece by their favorite artist. Names are called starting at 8:30 p.m. on opening night, but you don’t have to be present to participate in the draw, says marketing manager Janell Grady. Simply contact the gallery ahead of time to enter your name. “This show is a great opportunity for people who are starting to collect or who have always wanted to own a piece by a certain artist,” says Grady. Because price points are reasonable, ranging from $1,000 to $7,000, it doesn’t appear so unattainable, she adds.

Held to a 12-by-16-inch size limit, the artists’ creations are anything but diminutive in visual impact. For David Mann, whose Native American paintings typically range between 24 and 48 inches tall, working smaller is a challenge, but he appreciates the focus a smaller frame requires. “Small works have to be distilled down to a cleaner and simpler concept,” says Mann, who brings AMERICAN SPIRIT and AHEAD OF THE STORM to the show. “Although there’s room for subtleties, you have to be more direct.”

Ken Carlson, After a Long Night, oil, 8 x 16.

David Mann, American Spirit, oil, 9 x 12.

George Hallmark, Lena de Pino, oil, 16 x 12.

Dean Mitchell, Door to Preservation Hall, acrylic, 15 x 10.

Tim Shinabarger, Wapiti, bronze, 8 x 8 x 3.

Glenn Dean, Sage Rider at Dusk, oil, 8 x 8.

As with his larger paintings, Mann’s goal was to portray the humanity of Native Americans in his small works. He positioned his figures “up closer” on the canvas, zooming in on their eyes, expressions, and even “the resolve of the lines in their faces,” he says. “You can fill that space up quite a bit, and it’s not imposing. You feel like you have a closer connection.”

Working small was also a welcome change of pace for sculptor Tim Shinabarger, who finds it easy to “work out an idea” on a smaller scale. “Then, if I’m pleased, I’ll often do a larger, more developed version,” he says. For the show, Shinabarger created WAPITI, an 8-inch-high bronze that portrays a strapping bull elk in mid-trot. “It’s a real challenge to get the movement down and have it feel supple and natural,” he says of the piece. “Getting the correct skull and spine placement is critical.” Shinabarger also brings a horse-packing sculpture, BACK COUNTRY, to the show.

Collectors can peruse all works in the show catalog prior to the event, or take a whirlwind tour on opening night before throwing their names in the hat. Paintings hang salon-style, filling about a third of Legacy Gallery’s 6,000-square-foot space. Available works remain on view and for sale through December 31. —Kim Agricola

Featured Artists

Gradually, the artist found less and less satisfaction in merely “painting what I thought would sell.” That’s when he began turning back to the mostly American Indian-inspired figurative works that the East Coast gallery owner had warned him to avoid.